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98 Iowa L. Rev. 1101 (2012-2013)
A License Is Not a Contract Not to Sue: Disentangling Property and Contract in the Law of Copyright Licenses

handle is hein.journals/ilr98 and id is 1143 raw text is: A License Is Not a Contract Not To Sue: Disentangling Property and Contract in the Law of Copyright Licenses Christopher M. Newman* I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................... 1103 II. LICENSES AS PROPERTY INTERESTS ....................................................... 1110 A. PRELIMINARY DISTINCTIONS: TITLE, LICENSE, AND OWNERSHIP ....... 1111 B. CREATION OF LICENSES THROUGH PROPERTY FORMALITIES ............. 1118 i. B are L icenses ........................................................................ 1119 2. Irrevocable Licenses ............................................................. 1120 3. Exclusive Licenses and Divisibility of Ownership .............. 1123 III. LICENSES AS CONTRACTUAL RIGHTS ................................................... 1124 A. CONTRACT AND CONTRACTFORMALITIES ........................................ 1124 B. CONTRACT FORMALITES AND THE CREATION OF LICENSE IN TERESTS ..................................................................................... 1127 1. Licenses Are Not Contracts, Though They May Arise from Acts of Contracting ..................................................... 1127 2. Contractual Irrevocability ................................................ 1131 3. Exclusive Rights by Contract ............................................... 1136 IV. THE LAW OF COPYRIGHT INTERESTS .................................................... 1137 A. PROPERTY VERSUS CONTRA CT FORMALITIES IN THE CREATION OF COPYRIGHT PRIVILEGES .................................................................. 1141 B. IRREVOCABLE COPYRIGHT PRIVILEGES ............................................. 1144 1. Creation of Irrevocable Copyright Privileges by Deed ...... 1144 2. Creation of Irrevocable Copyright Privileges by Contract 1150 * Assistant Professor, George Mason University School of Law. I wish to thank all of the following for critical input or support: Henry Smith, Oren Bracha, Robert Bone, Eric Claeys, Adam Mossoff, Eric Goldberg, Michael Carroll, Brett Frischmann, Joseph Miller, Henry Butler, TJ. Chiang, Jeff Parker, Ilya Somin, Rebecca Tushnet, James Grimmelman, and all the participants in workshops at the 2011 Henry Manne Forum, the 2011 Intellectual Property Scholars Conference, the Levy Workshop at George Mason University School of Law, and the 2012 Junior Scholars in Intellectual Property Workshop at Michigan State University College of Law. I would also like to thank Melissa Alfano for her diligent research assistance. 1101

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